


Day 24: Sneaking Around to Put out Gifts ft. Sabriel

by Pippiuscattius



Series: Pippi's Holiday Shipping Challenge [24]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: 25 Day Holiday OTP Challenge, Angst with a Happy Ending, Christmas, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Presents, Christmas Tree, Cuddling & Snuggling, Cuddling Gabriel/Sam Winchester, Fluff, Forehead Kisses, Gabriel in the Men of Letters Bunker, Gift Giving, Home, Hugs, Implied Castiel/Dean Winchester, Light Angst, M/M, Men of Letters Bunker, Sabriel - Freeform, Sam n Gabe are the best at giving presents, There is so much shmoop in this, gabriel is alive
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-24
Updated: 2017-12-24
Packaged: 2019-02-19 19:17:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,079
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13130301
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pippiuscattius/pseuds/Pippiuscattius
Summary: After days of trying to figure out the best Christmas present to give Gabriel, Sam has finally figured it out. On the night of Christmas Eve, he sneaks out into the bunker to hide it under the tree, only to find that Gabriel is already leaving a gift of his own there. Whether they realize it or not, these gifts will bring them closer together than they've ever been before.(Part of my 25 Day Holiday OTP challenge. Will feature multiple ships from multiple fandoms. These will all be quickly-written, silly drabbles so please don't judge them too harshly. UwU)





	Day 24: Sneaking Around to Put out Gifts ft. Sabriel

**Author's Note:**

> Ah ha ha ha hA HA I've been so pumped to write the SPN entries in this challenge. If you're lookin' for Sabriel fluff and feels, you'll find it here.
> 
> There is implied Destiel in the background of this, but neither Dean nor Cas actually make an appearance. You'll have to wait for tomorrow's drabble for some Destiel ;) For today, Sabriel gets the spotlight!

The Winchesters hadn’t celebrated Christmas, not properly at least, since they’d killed those pagan gods and decorated a tree with air fresheners in their motel room. This December, fate had decided to let up on them for once, giving them a chance to indulge in the holiday. Whether it was the world’s way of saying “thank you” for saving it so many times from the dark forces of the supernatural, they weren’t about to pass up their chance.

Through some Christmas miracle, everything fell into place. No cases popped up in the days leading up to Christmas, no looming apocalypses reared their heads, and perhaps best of all, the two angels nearest and dearest to the Winchesters were free to stay in the bunker with them for the whole month.

Having Castiel around was basically old hat by that point; he practically lived in the bunker already when he wasn’t out on angel or hunting business, much to Dean’s delight. It was the surprise arrival of the other angel that had really shaken up the routine.

Things had been interesting since Gabriel popped in and announced he’d like to “hide out” for the holidays in the bunker. Dean had been resistant, especially when Gabriel demonstrated that his reality-bending archangel powers were still as strong as ever, but he was outvoted by Castiel and Sam.

Gabriel had been flitting about the bunker every day of December, checking in on his little brother and taking every opportunity he could to lightly annoy Dean (“He makes it too easy! His reactions are priceless!” he always defended himself.). But the inhabitant of the bunker he undoubtedly spent the most time with was Sam. The two had started to get much closer over the course of the holiday season, helped on by the warm atmosphere that always descended around Christmastime.

Whereas Dean still had yet to fully forgive Gabriel for the whole “killing him a hundred times on Tuesday” incident, Sam was more willing to bury the hatchet, especially after how the archangel had ended up helping them later on at the cost of his own life. It turned out he’d faked his death in classic trickster fashion, which didn’t end up surprising Sam near as much as it probably should have.

Having two angels around certainly helped with getting into the Christmas spirit, particularly because said angels wholeheartedly partook in every Christmas tradition that was brought up. The gift exchange was the most long-awaited of these traditions, and also the one that had given Sam the most trouble.

What present were you supposed to get for an archangel who could literally procure anything he desired from thin air? Sam had wrestled with this question for days and days on end before he figured out just the thing.

It was the night of Christmas Eve that Sam finally had Gabriel’s present wrapped and ready to put under the tree. He quietly carried the softly bundled gift from his room and down the hallway towards the library. Dean had already called it an early night and had retreated into his own bedroom; with Castiel in tow, of course. Gabriel’s whereabouts were unknown, but Sam was hoping he could sneak under the trickster’s radar just long enough to place his present underneath the tree.

In theory, this shouldn’t have been difficult. Sam had become familiar with Gabriel’s usual haunts since he’d been staying with them. At night, he was normally in the kitchen experimenting with creating some sickeningly sweet concoction to insist everyone try for breakfast the next day. Either that, or he’d be so engaged in a conversation with Sam that he’d follow him back into his bedroom and chat until the hunter fell asleep.

The latter had certainly not happened tonight, so the coast should have been clear. But, because things never go quite smoothly for a Winchester, Sam’s plan didn’t go quite the way he wanted.

Upon tip-toeing into the library, Sam found Gabriel hunched over by the Christmas tree, pushing something into place behind it. Holding his breath, Sam took a step backwards to retreat and wait until Gabriel was gone, but his foot hit a particularly creaky floorboard on his way out.

Both Sam and Gabriel froze. Slowly, the latter turned around, his eyes widening when he saw who else was in the room. “Samsquatch!” he greeted cheerily. “What a pleasant surprise!”

Hastily hiding the present behind his back, Sam just chuckled and waved to him. “Uh, hey, Gabe…I’m just…getting a drink of water from the kitchen, so…”

Bowing his head awkwardly, Sam strode across the library in a bid to get away and hide out until Gabriel left. That plan fell through nearly instantly, as Gabriel hurried to intercept him.

Clicking his tongue, Gabriel chided, “C’mon, Sam, you’re not getting away that easy. I know you wake up early, but not _this_ early.” He leaned over to try and get a look at the hand behind Sam’s back. “Whatcha got there?”

Sam had to think fast, but his brain was bogged down by impending sleepiness. “A…glass for my water.”

Smirking, Gabriel clearly did not believe him. “Can’t say I buy that, kiddo. What’s really back there?”

Left without much of a choice, Sam sighed and brought out the package, which was wrapped in reflective silver paper covered in pictures of golden ornaments. “It’s…your Christmas present.”

Gasping, Gabriel eagerly eyed the gift like a kid on Christmas morning. “Aww, so you did get me a gift! I was wondering, since I didn’t see any under the tree…”

“Yeah, it took me a while to figure out what to get you,” Sam admitted sheepishly. “Since you can just make pretty much whatever you want whenever you want.”

“That’s understandable,” Gabriel dismissed, eyes still locked on his present. “I dunno if I can wait until tomorrow morning to find out what’s in there!”

“You’re gonna have to,” Sam playfully countered, stepping around Gabriel and leaning down in front of the tree. He nestled the gift right between his own gift to Dean and Castiel’s gift to Gabriel, effectively rounding out the ring of presents circling the underside of the tree. Stepping back to take in the sight, Sam glowed with contentment. This was just the sort of domestic touch the bunker needed.

The tall hunter faltered when he noticed an unfamiliar piece of furniture pressed against the backside of the tree. “Uh, Gabe?” he asked over his shoulder. “What’s that?”

“What’s what?” Gabriel had materialized a candy cane and was now intently focused on nibbling on its crook.

“The furniture behind the tree.” Sam had crept around the tree to get a better look at the foreign item. It looked like a stout, antique bookshelf made of a polished, dark wood. A bright red bow atop the shelf only added to Sam’s confusion.

“Oh, shoot!” Gabriel cried, snapping his fingers. “I was hoping you wouldn’t see that. It’s your Christmas present!”

Straightening up and turning back to look at Gabriel, Sam asked, “You got me a bookshelf?”

“Not just any bookshelf,” Gabriel corrected, striding over to join Sam beside the tree. “What you’re looking at is _the_ bookshelf. Straight from Paphos, Cyprus.”

“What makes it _the_ bookshelf?” Sam curiously ran a hand over the top of it, reveling in its smooth finish.

“Scholars and researchers have hunted for this bookshelf for decades,” Gabriel explained. “Used to belong to the Cult of Aphrodite centuries ago.” Reaching over to pat the sturdy shelf, Gabriel took a small bite out of his candy cane. “I found it locked away in a crypt under the island. Those scholars weren’t even close to finding it.”

Already amazed that he was being given such a valuable artifact, Sam desperately wanted to find out more. “Why would scholars try so hard to find this? I mean, it doesn’t even have any books on it.” The lone compartment carved into the bookshelf was indeed completely barren.

“It doesn’t have any _yet_ ,” Gabriel corrected. “Watch and learn, Samsquatch.”

Stepping aside to give the archangel room, Sam watched as Gabriel closed his eyes and knocked his fist three times on top of the bookshelf. Waiting a few moments, Gabriel leaned down and reached into the single shelf, pulling out a square-shaped book that hadn’t been there mere moments before.

“Wh- how did you…” Sam stared in utter disbelief as Gabriel smirked and held up the book for him to see.

“’Aunt Agatha’s Cumulative Christmas Dessert Cookbook,’” Gabriel read the title. “Just what I was looking for.” Popping his candy cane back in his mouth and holding it there between his molars, Gabriel put the book aside. “What’s special about the Cult of Aphrodite’s bookshelf is that it’ll give you whatever book you want or need just by knocking on it a few times. It’s infused with ancient magic that’s been lost for centuries.”

Mouth falling open in amazement, Sam could only stare at his gift. “I…oh my god, do you know how much easier this will make research?” Huffing a joyous laugh, he gushed, “And anytime I want to read something outside of a case, I can just…” Getting ahold of himself, Sam put a lid on his excitement. “I…thank you, Gabriel, really. It’s perfect.”

Grinning and waving a dismissive hand, Gabriel replied, “Don’t mention it. I knew you’d love it, you bookworm nerd.”

Unable to keep down his thrilled smile, Sam took to examining every inch of his new magic bookshelf. His mind flooded with possibilities for what he could use it for, and now _he_ was starting to feel like a kid on Christmas morning.

“So what about my present?” Gabriel offhandedly asked, grinding his candy cane between his teeth.

“Yours?” Sam’s mind was still elsewhere, and he didn’t notice when Gabriel pulled his present out from amidst the others under the tree.

“Yeah,” Gabriel confirmed, turning the package over in his hands. “You got to see yours early, so now I should get to see mine early, right?”

Finally snapping out of his bookshelf trance, Sam tensed up and turned back around to find Gabriel already tearing a small hole in the wrapping paper of his gift.

“W-wait, Gabe!” Sam frantically reached out and put a hand on the archangel’s wrist. “I dunno if you should open it now, i-it’s kinda special-”

“Don’t sweat it,” Gabriel nonchalantly replied. “It’s practically already Christmas anyways. Besides, I’m curious to see what you could have possibly gotten me, since I'm the trickster who can get anything.”

Opening his mouth to object further, Sam just closed it with a resigned sigh as Gabriel hastily tore the rest of the paper off. The angel’s features twisted in befuddlement as he stared into the contents of the ripped package. Slowly reaching in, he pulled out the red and yellow plaid shirt Sam had picked out for him.

Chuckling and quirking an eyebrow at the shirt, Gabriel commented, “Uh, it’s a nice thought, kiddo, but I could just whip up some plaid for myself to wear whenever I want, you know.”

Feeling something terrifyingly warm twist in his gut, Sam steeled himself. He thought he’d have the rest of the night to practice this speech for when Gabriel opened the present tomorrow, but since it was open ahead of schedule, he would have to improvise. “It’s…not just the plaid. It’s…there’s…a meaning behind it.”

Tossing aside the spent wrapping paper, Gabriel gave Sam his full, curious attention, holding the shirt close to his chest.

Swallowing nervously with Gabriel’s beautiful brown eyes on him, Sam gave into his nervous habit and reached up to ruffle at his own hair. “I talked to Dean a while back, and…he said that he was surprised you’d been on such good behavior since coming here. Well, aside from the little pranks you keep pulling, but there’s really no harm in those and I don’t think you’d stop them for anything.”

Winking and clicking his tongue, Gabriel confidently agreed, “Right-o you are, Sammich.”

Humming with a shaky chuckle, Sam refused to let himself get sidetracked by Gabriel’s charm. “A-anyways, you’ve been so happy since you came here, and Dean said that…it’d be okay if…” Sighing and thinking of how best to phrase it, Sam tried a different approach. “One of the nights you were in my room, when we were talking…you said you’ve been kind of adrift since Lucifer…’killed’ you. And you didn’t really have anywhere to stay…”

Face falling with a deeply repressed sadness, Gabriel’s gaze drifted downwards. Though he didn’t like to think about it, he was essentially a homeless angel. His powers supplemented him with most everything he needed or wanted, sure, but since he’d left heaven all those years ago, he’d never had a home to come back to. He’d been a drifter for so long that he’d forgotten what having a steadfast place to call your own felt like.

Coughing into his fist to clear his throat, Sam took a deep breath. “So, what I’m trying to say is…a-and I’m sorry if this is overstepping boundaries in any way…”

Sam’s intent gaze drew Gabriel back upwards, the two looking deep into each other’s eyes.

Taking one more deep breath, Sam said with all the earnesty he could muster, “If you’d like…my home is your home, too.”

It took Gabriel a few moments to realize just what he was being given. Sam was offering to let him stay in the bunker for longer than just Christmas; more than that, he was welcoming Gabriel into his home with open arms, inviting him to become a _part_ of his home. As the sheer emotional weight of that hit Gabriel, the angel felt his vessel’s tear ducts begin to react. He quickly got a handle on them before he turned into a leaky faucet, but the rest of his eyes all too easily betrayed what he was feeling.

“You mean…I can live here?” Gabriel had to clarify, had to be sure.

Sam appeared surprised that Gabriel would doubt his gift. “Yeah, of course! I just…couldn’t stop thinking about what you told me that night, and since Dean’s okay with it…”

More emotion flooded Gabriel’s grace. Sam was giving him the one thing he could never make on his own, no matter the extent of his trickster powers: a home.

Holding his plaid tighter in his fingertips, Gabriel looked down at the shirt with a whole new perspective. Suddenly, the garment meant so, so much more to him than he’d ever thought a piece of clothing possibly could.

Slowly chewing up and swallowing the last portion of his candy cane, Gabriel held the shirt up in the light. It was just his size, and just his color, too. Donning a lopsided grin, he snapped his fingers and in an instant, the plaid was on him, replacing his usual button-up shirt.

“I look like a bonafide Winchester!” Gabriel exclaimed, looking down at himself in his new shirt.

Relieved smile breaking out on his face, Sam affirmed, “Yeah, it looks good on you.”

“Sam, I don’t even know how to…” Though Gabriel briefly tried, he decided that no amount of grateful words would suffice. He’d just have to show Sam how much this meant to him.

Brimming with delight, Gabriel ran towards Sam. The hunter backed up in alarm, but that didn’t save him from the massive hug Gabriel trapped him in. The angel clung tightly to him, squeezing him with all the gratitude he could possibly convey and resting his head on Sam’s chest.

Staring down at the shorter angel wrapped around him, Sam gathered his senses and leaned down somewhat to return the hug, pulling Gabriel closer. They must have stood there for a few minutes, neither one wanting to break away.

Finally, Sam muttered, “This is nice and all, Gabe, but I still need to get some sleep tonight.”

Whining and burying his head further in Sam’s chest, Gabriel still refused to let go.

Sighing and flushing, Sam knew there was no fighting the archangel on this matter. Maybe it was just the oxytocin talking, but he honestly didn’t want to let go yet either…

Compromise would have to do. Using his taller stature to his advantage, Sam lifted up Gabriel so that the angel’s legs were around his waist. Gabriel made a surprised noise but settled quickly, holding on tight as Sam carried him down one of the bunker’s hallways.

“We’re goin’ on a trip, eh?” Gabriel asked, muffled by the fabric of Sam’s shirt. “Where to, Samsquatch?”

“My bedroom,” Sam answered, immediately regretting doing so when Gabriel pulled away just enough to waggle his eyebrows at him. “To _sleep_ ,” Sam firmly clarified.

Shrugging and pressing himself back to Sam’s chest, Gabriel settled quietly. The archangel didn’t make a peep the whole way back to Sam’s room after that.

Once he’d wrestled his door open and closed it behind him, Sam glanced between his bed and the chair across the room that Gabriel usually sat in. “You wanna get in your chair?” he asked.

Gabriel’s only answer was to murmur something about “staying close” and cling to Sam tighter.

Though he rolled his eyes, Sam was actually more than happy to keep Gabriel close for the evening. In fact, in that moment, there wasn’t anything he’d rather do than cuddle up next to the archangel while he settled into having a new home.

Gently setting Gabriel down on the bed, Sam let him shuffle up under the blankets and get cozy before slipping in beside him. The second Gabriel felt his heat through the blankets, he latched onto Sam and snuggled against him as closely as he could.

Blushing something awful, Sam wrapped an arm around the angel’s back to securely anchor him there. “I…thought angels didn’t sleep,” he commented.

Gabriel sighed sleepily. “We don’t. I just wanna stay close, n’ comfortable, n’ rested…” he nuzzled his way into the crook of Sam’s neck.

Somehow, Sam’s blush was only getting worse, but he didn’t mind. This was…nice, something he rarely allowed himself to have. He could really get used to it.

Tapping into a well of affection for the archangel that had only grown deeper since the evening began, Sam pressed a barely-there kiss to the top of Gabriel’s head. “Welcome home, Gabe,” he softly whispered.

_Thus ends the twenty-fourth day of Christmas._

**Author's Note:**

> I actually totally made up the bookshelf thing. I have no idea if something like that actually exists in myths or whatever, but I DO know that the Cult of Aphrodite was a real thing on Cyprus that may have had something like the bookshelf in their legends.
> 
> I tried so hard to find an actual myth about a bookcase like the one I had in mind, but every time I tried searching for it I only found e-books about mythology. Curse you, Google algorithms. TwT


End file.
